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About the Curtis Hammond Band
The Curtis Hammond Band (featuring NW pro guitarist Mark Noftsger and the Thirteenth Street Horns) has been together in various forms for over 25 years. Formerly known as Get Off the Stage, the band performed regularly at major NW venues such as The Central Saloon, Parkers (appeared with the Lovemongers including Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart), and the Shark Club. Since 2006 the Curtis Hammond Band has performed at the Mt. Baker Blues Festival, the Rendezvous Blues Festival, the Taste of Tacoma, the Bite of Seattle, the Highway 99 Blues Club, and several other top regional blues venues. The current lineup consists of nine top flight Seattle area musicians including former members of NW pro bands such as the Dick Powell Band and Broham. The band performs a highly danceable blend of blues, R&B, and soul.
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Member Bios
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Curtis Hammond -- Lead vocals, percussion
Curtis started out singing and playing with his Brothers and Father as a teen in the 70's with a band called Broham. They traveled around California, the NW and Canada. Curtis stopped playing for about 10 - 15 years until he went to a Funk Brothers show at the Showbox and went on stage and sang with them. He was approached by drummer Steve Thompson after the show and invited to sing for Get Off The Stage. His musical influences are Earth, Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, and any kind of old skool funk!
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Mark Noftsger-- Lead guitar (Fender Stratocaster)
In 1965 Mark picked up his first guitar and hasn't put it down since. Mark has played with some interesting bands over the years including: Sluggo, News, Rapid Transit, Pale Men and The Dick Powell Band. Most influential album (East West, Butterfield) influential players: Mike Bloomfield, Hendrix (of course) and Jeff Beck.
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Dave Bernhardt -- Trumpet
The newest member of the Curtis Hammond Band, a Washington born native and University of Washington graduate. Dave studied trumpet at the UW while performing with the Studio Jazz Ensembles, Wind Ensembles and Husky Marching Band. Dave has since performed with local Seattle bands such as Andy-O and GrooveMob before landing the gig with the Curtis Hammond Band.
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Jim Brandt -- 5 string bass, backup vocals
Seattle-born Jim Brandt got his start as a rhythm guitar player in the mid-sixties, and went on to play in several local bands on drums and guitar, until settling on the bass in early 1980's. Jim is one of the founders of The Curtis Hammond Band (formerly Get Off The Stage) and after a two year sabbatical is back in the fold. His major musical influences are all over the board, but he loves alt country, low-fi, Yo Yo Ma, and any band with a dancing horn section.
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John Coffey -- Tenor and baritone sax
Originating from the Great State of Utah, John has been playing saxophone---the same one!---since the mid-Seventies. He's been with the Curtis Hammond Band for over 9 years. John has also played with a number of other bands including such local acts as the Silverbacks, the Jimmy Wright Band, and the James Culler Destiny Orchestra.
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Craig Daly -- Trombone, percussion, backup vocals
In 1989, Craig "T-Bone" Daly was asked to sit in with the band (Get Off the Stage) for one song that needed a trombone (The Peter Gunn Theme). The rest is history.....now part of the "13th Street Horns" of the Curtis Hammond Band. "I feel we have finally become the band we want to be. I would also like to thank my wife Rosalie, for continuing to be the band's longest standing (and oldest!) band groupie." Biggest influence: Randy Oxford, of the Randy Oxford Band - he is the best!
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Mark Strom -- Rhythm guitar (Fender Stratocaster)
Everett-born Mark Strom started playing guitar on an old Harmony acoustic at the age of 10 while living in the Greenwood area of Seattle. In 1980 he helped form Get Off the Stage, now the Curtis Hammond Band, and it's the only (band) home he has known. Musical influences include all kinds of blues and R&B (and Mark Noftsger), but secretly wants to be a member of the E Street Band.
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Dave Teitzel -- Keyboards (Hammond, Yamaha instruments), backup vocals
Dave has performed with a variety of Northwest soul/R&B bands in
Seattle, Spokane and Portland. Major musical influences: Capt. Jack
McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Chester Thompson, Roger Smith, James Brown, The
Spice Girls.
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Steve Thompson -- Drums
"Stevie D" otherwise known as the "Warden", helped form Get Off the Stage in 1980 hoping the group would ultimately become a Sonics tribute band. Failing that he is pleased that the CHB now focuses on similar hard hitting tunes by Tommy Castro, Coco Montoya and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Muscial influences include Bob Bennett (Sonics), Max Weinberg (E-Street Band) and David Jette.
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